Scripture Text (NRSV)
2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be
alone; I will make him a helper as his partner."
2:19 So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the
field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see
what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living
creature, that was its name.
2:20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air,
and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found
a helper as his partner.
2:21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he
slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with
flesh.
2:22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into
a woman and brought her to the man.
2:23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of
my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was
taken."
2:24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to
his wife, and they become one flesh.
Comments:
I am really struggling with this one. I facilitate a youth mass once a
month, with a group of young people. While most of their parents seem
happily married, I know that it is not the case for a number of young
people who attend our monthly mass. I really struggle, when reading
this in conjuction with Mark 10:2-16 to not make those young people
from split families feel worse about their home situation. I find it
hard, as I also work in child protection services, where most young
people there do not live with their parents, and some are unable to
even have their parents in the same room safely.
Terri from Brisbane, Australia
Terri from Brisbane, Australia
My, you are considering this text early.
Even in homes that have suffered a divorce or where the marriage is
not completely happy, we must share with our teens what God's ideal is
- that a man and woman who are married should remain married for life.
I've been married 29 years and people I talk to say how amazed they
are. We ought NOT to be amazed. A promise was made and kept. Isn't
that the way it's supposed to be? It's like saying, "I'm amazed that
you've gone so long without robbing a bank."
Teens must, however, be shown that the difficulty in their homes is
not their fault, and really that the laying of blame is not
constructive at all. They can see the pain their parents suffered over
the divorce is something they ought to avoid for their own lives so
when they do choose that life partner, they must choose wisely.
When God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will
make him a helper as his partner," He was saying man is incomplete.
Orthdox Jews believe an unmarried man is half a man.
When I taught teens, I taught them this principle - marry someone who
completes you. This is not always someone with whom you have
everything in common (though some commonality is essential), but
someone who is strong where you are weak, and weak where you are
strong - someone who fills in your own missing pieces and whose
missing pieces you fill. Don't marry the person you want - marry the
person you need.
What is horrible about our society is that divorce is presented as a
normal thing. It ought not to be. It is an abnormal thing which should
never happen. It is painful - pain shouldn't be normal.
Young people may say, "So maybe I shouldn't get married to avoid
divorce." My reply - "So maybe you shouldn't eat to avoid tooth
decay." No. To avoid tooth decay, we brush and floss. To avoid
divorce, we marry someone who completes us (trusting God to bring us
to that person) and we nurture and care for that relationship.
Divorce is painful and children bear all too much of that pain. Let us
give them the ideal and NOT teach that divorce is inevitable. It
isn't.
JG in WI
Terri, don't struggle, just pray and God will lead you. You have to
state the truth. That GOD did create man and woman to be one flesh in
marriage... But, after the curse, that all come undone, you said you
do youth mass, so you're Catholic, you believe in St Augustine's
Original Sin. So, that shouldn't be a Problem for you. I am myself am
from a Pelagious viewpoint. Men do things that doesnt ever mean to
come pass, like abuse their wives, and kids...God Created the Wives
and Kids to be cherished so God didnt create them to be abused, so
because then husband isnt acting like preist of household , they are
released... that should make broken family situation feel better, and
you can substitute an abusive wife to her husband too... I am female ,
so I use Hubby first LOL.
OR, take this symbolic in the Genesis story to be a image,
representation of Christ.... Christ had 1st coming- came as man to
redeem us by way of the cross. 2nd coming is a given has to happen-
the completion of the 2nd coming is represented in the feamle. (that
doesnt mean Jesus coming back as a girl either) Represents completion,
the circle, Man and woman ONE FLESH... GOD's IMAGE right? That
symbolism then in Christ context 1st coming and 2nd coming to be fully
completed, fulfillment! Clerically_Blonde in West Ohio
Pleasantly surprised that discussion is happening. I too have been
married I think now for 37 years. I thoroughly enjoyed your reflection
about robbing a bank. Maybe we have made too light about promises...
now, the part I like about this is the word "partner", that is an
egalitarian word. Both have responsibility, both have authority, both
work together. It is interesting amobeas split in to two. nobody calls
one amobea the first authority, they actually become two new
individuals. Don't have a clue how this ties into World Communion
Sunday and that is my theme. Nancy-Wi
I think that this passage can be seen in a broader contest than just
husband-wife. It is not good for us to be alone. As Christians, we are
made to be in communion with others. -- Carrie in NY
Carrie in NY -- I like your thinking! I am planning to preach on
Hebrews, but I may do something in conjunction with the Genesis text.
Thanks for the idea! Blessings, Desiree in Sacramento
Genesis 2 stresses that people are not meant to live in isolation but
in relationship. While speaking of the unity of a man and a woman, the
focus of this reading is on human community more broadly considered.
Ultimately what unites the man and the woman is their common humanity
I was taught in seminary that because Woman came out of man, and man
is born from woman, that it creates a mutually interdependent
relationship, not a hierarchical one. I think so many of the problems
in marriage today is the fact that too many are into the "Lord it
over" mindset of relationships, like the necessity is to have one
person have power over the other,instead of a mutually interdependent
one. If you look at the words in greek in 1 cor. 11 about headship,
the word for head is Source, like the head of a river is a source of
water for the river. That speaks to me of the mutual interdependence
that began at creation. The marriages that I see that are healthy, are
ones that follow this kind of a model, and have no need to control
their spouse. It is so much more healthy.
Susan in Wa.
